Retainer



will i n 1 M. M. PLUNMETT JNE RETAINER Filed Jan. 2l, 1935 Illlllllllllllll` Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEClaims.

My invention consists in a new and useful improvement in retainers, andis designed more particularly to provide a device for applying anelastic band to a carton, to retain the cover of 5 the carton inposition after its edges have been severed to open the carton.

I have found by experience that it is very desirable for the housewifeto have readily available such a band to snap about a carton such as iscommonly used for cereals, or other granular or pulverized substances,when she has out open the edges of the top of the carton and wishes tosecure the top in closed position. I have also found it desirable toprovide means for attaching the band to the top of the carton, so thatthe band shall always be available for use when it is needed. Theparticularly novel feature of my improved device is the means which Iprovide for mounting the band upon the carton, consisting carrier forthe band, which can be attached to the carton, and which is providedwith a protective covering for the band before it is used.

While I have illustrated in the drawing filed herewith and havehereinafter fully described one specic embodiment of my invention, it isto be distinctly understood that I do not consider my invention limitedto said specific embodiment, but refer for its scope to the claimsappended hereto.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device, as prepared for dispensing.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my device as applied to a carton.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of my device, as it appears in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of my device.

My device, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a wafer W, anelastic band B and a transparent casing C. The wafer W is provided uponone faceI with an adhesive coating A so that it may be attached to thecarton D.

I provide the wafer W with'two U-shaped slots, each having a long branchI, a short branch 2, and a bottom portion 3, the long branches Istarting from opposite edges of the wafer W. These slots are so disposedin the wafer W as to form tongues 4. The elastic band B is forced downthe branch I, through the portion 3, to the end of the branch 2 of oneof the slots, and by reason of the gripping effect of the sides of theslot against the band B, it is not permitted to of a wafer soconstructed as to serve as a novel slide longitudinally of the Wafer W.The band B is similarly positioned in the end of the branch 2 of theother slot, and the portion 5 of the band B passing under the wafer Wand between the branches 2 of the slots is put under proper tension fora reason to be presently explained, and is thus held by the grip of thesides of the branches 2.

In order to properly protect the wafer W and band B, prior to itsapplication to a carton, and to produce an attractive article to bedispensed to users, I provide the wafer W with the transparent casing Cunder which the elastic band B is suitably coiled, as in Fig. l, theedges 6 of the casing C being attached to the adhesively coated underface of the wafer W.

When the carton D has had its top T cut along its front and end edges Efor the purpose of dispensing the contents of the carton D, my devicecan be applied to the top T, by removing the cover C from the wafer W,moistening the surface A, and pasting the wafer W upon the top T.

When the top T has been restored to its normally closed position, thebight I of the elastic band B, being put under suicient tension, may bepassed about the carton D, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, thus holdingthe top T closed.

It is obvious that, since the bight 'I of the elastic band B is undertension when the band B is serving as the closure retaining means forthe carton D, the portion 5 is also properly held under tension by thesides of the branches 2 of the slots, so that the elastic band B, whilein operative position, is under uniform tension throughout its entirelength.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a retainer, the combination of an adhesive wafer provided with twoslits formed by incising the wafer without removing any of the materialthereof; and an elastic band looped through the slits in said wafer.

2. In a retainer, the combination of a wafer provided with two U-shapedslots, each having one long branch opening through the edge of theWafer, and one short branch; and an elastic band passed from the edge ofthe wafer through each long branch and into the end of each shortbranch, of said slots.

3. In a retainer, the combination of a wafer provided with two U-shapedslots, each having one long branch opening through the edge of the waferand one short branch; and an endless elastic band passed from the edgeof the wafer through each long branch and into the end of each shortbranch, the portion of the band between the short branches beingretained in distended form.

4. In a retainer, the combination of a wafer provided with tworestricted slots; and a flat elastic band having a normal thicknessgreater than the width of the slots and having its faces gripped by thewalls of said slots.

5. In a retainer, the combination of a Wafer provided with tworestricted slots; and an elastic band having a normal thickness greaterthan the Width of the slots passed through said slots, the portion ofthe band between the slots being distended and retained in such form bythe grip 5 of the sides of each slot.

MARTHA M. PLUNKETT.

